Chapter 411: Echoes of Courage and Loyalty (X) Bloodline and Responsibility
"Cerberus..." Calvin repeated the boy's name, and the boy, who looked young but already showed his talent, was still persistent and tried to correct Calvin's pronunciation with his Macragge accent:
"It's Cerberus Ancelotti Charles..."
"Okay, okay..." Calvin interrupted the boy and continued to ask him questions:
"You are from a noble family, right?"
"Of course!" The boy looked at the giant in front of him without fear, but full of interest.
"I have seen you! The Emperor's angels! My father also talked about your existence! He said he would find the best mentor for me, and sooner or later, I will become one of you!"
"Oh? That's not easy..." Calvin smiled, trying to lower his voice as much as possible to avoid scaring the child.
He carefully examined the thin body of the boy in front of him, and then asked his first question:
"Then do you know what aristocracy is?"
"Of course!"
"Tell me about it?"
"Aristocrats are noble blood!"
"Why are they noble?"
"Loyalty! Protection! Sacrifice!" The boy looked at Calvin and answered loudly. He looked directly into Calvin's eyes, and said his understanding and pride of his own blood as if he was swearing an oath:
"My ancestors protected the people of the empire with their lives and proved their loyalty with blood! They proved the nobility of this blood with generations of sacrifice, and I will follow in their footsteps and continue to defend the stability and prosperity of the Ultramar 500 World with the rest of my life!"
Oh... This is a typical military aristocratic thought. Calvin's own body also came from the same family, and this thought seems to be spread in the world of the Ultramarines as well. It is the mainstream thought of the Ultramar 500 World.
Calvin was satisfied with the answer he wanted. He pointed to the huge book mark on his chest. The wings of the Imperial Eagle emblem were spreading, surrounding the curve of Calvin's neck armor. The wings were reflecting golden light under the lights of the corridor.
"Do you see it? We are the Emperor's messengers, and we need your help now."
"Of course! It's an honor!" The young man stood up straight, put his hands on his chest, made a Sky Eagle salute, and then said excitedly:
"Are you looking for the person who just passed by? Follow me!"
Looking at the back of Kerberus running forward, Golden and Nicholas looked at each other, and then asked the Primarch with psychic power:
+ Do you believe him? A child who can't appear in such a place? +
"What else?" Calvin turned his head and looked at the two of them, his eyes slightly playful.
Doesn't he know how abnormal it is for Appius to appear and disappear in such a strange environment?
Or does he not know how abrupt and conspicuous the appearance of Kerberus is at this time?
But he did not ask about the boy's origins, because that would only lead to meaningless lies. He just wanted to see what kind of drama this stage, which had already laid the prelude, could perform.
"He's already standing here, isn't he? Rather than ignoring his existence, I'd rather put the danger where I can see it."
After saying this, Calvin raised his footsteps and walked forward, and the Grey Knights and the Guards of the Imperial Guards also understood Calvin's thoughts and took heavy steps to chase the figure of the boy in front of him.
It was still a brick and stone corridor, and it was still a pale and dim light and shadow. The air was extremely quiet except for the footsteps of giants and children. This boring forward movement, in the background of constant repetition, once gave Calvin the illusion of standing still.
The Primarch looked at the boy in front of him who seemed to have endless physical strength, his eyes full of thought and scrutiny. And the endless corridor around him made some clues of thoughts vaguely pass through his mind.
What is it?
Calvin tried to search the ocean of his subconscious mind and actively capture the fleeting inspiration.
However, the moment the bits of sensibility were salvaged from the deep sea of consciousness, they melted into illogical fragmented perceptions in the air of reason...
"We're here! This is it!" The boy named Kerberos stopped in front of a wall and said to the person behind him.
Before Calvin, who was not far away, could answer, the figure had disappeared at the corner of the corridor.
Calvin, who caught up with him in a few steps, crossed the turn, and at the end of the corridor in the distance, another huge space had already appeared.
"Are you sure he's here?"
Calvin asked the boy who stopped beside him. Although his intuition also told him that the distance to Appius was indeed closer, looking at the unfamiliar space in the distance, he still wanted to hear the child's thoughts.
…………However, there was no sound responding to Calvin. He suddenly realized that the boy had disappeared quietly without knowing when, right under his nose.
"Sir?" Several Grey Knights and Guards finally caught up with Calvin, but when they saw him standing alone in the open space in the corridor, they also guessed that Cerberus had disappeared.
"That child?" Golden asked.
"Gone..." Calvin raised his head and met everyone's eyes, then looked at the end of the corridor in the distance. Although there were no traces of the same battlefield there, it was obviously different from the corridor they were in now.
"Let's go and see why he led us here..."
Another square similar to the previous one, with the same circular layout and the same debris on the ground.
But unlike before, the battle here is obviously ongoing, or the war that has ended in the long river of time is being reproduced here in some form.
Nearly a hundred Sons of Guilliman have built solid fortifications here, and light and heavy weapons are arranged in the positions in a deep and three-dimensional structure; professional tactical teams of five people are placed on the flanks and rear of the main force according to the tactical division of the war group.
After the wide passage in front reaches here, the field of vision is suddenly narrowed. The special building structure and the depth that is enough to place the entire company's position are probably the reasons why the Sons of Guilliman chose the battlefield here.
The roar and shouting like a tide came from the distant passage, and the noise after the echo and reflection of the corridor made the Astartes warriors frown.
The huge momentum of the demon army arrived at the battlefield before their local area, and after hearing this hellish sound that was enough to make mortal troops lose their courage instantly, the sons of Guilliman did not waver at all. They just blocked the hearing in their helmets automatically at the signal of the sergeants, and limited it to the internal tactical channel.
The Astartes in the trenches bent slightly at the same time, and the dim eyepieces on their helmets lit up with scarlet eyes as the battlefield perception system was activated;
The two five-man Terminator teams in the second line placed the heavy storm bolters in their hands on the bunkers. They had to pay attention to the commander's orders at all times. While acting as a firepower node in an environment lacking heavy equipment, they must also be ready to activate the transmission beacon behind them at any time to launch a counterattack to the positions that may be lost in the front.
On the high point deep in the circular position, two tactical dreadnought mechas also completed the last weapon self-check under the signal of the commander before the battle, with the "click" sound of heavy weapons, and then aimed the red crosshairs in the field of vision at the open space in the distance...
"Cerberus!" The white helmet standing on the front line of the position shouted loudly to the flank position.
"Here!" A young Astartes stood up immediately.
"Take your team to the C5 position! Execute immediately!" The captain of the white helmet did not explain after giving the order, and continued to pay attention to the battlefield in front of him.
"Why!" Hearing the order to be transferred to the rear on the eve of the war, the new recruit Cerberus angrily questioned his commander.
"No reason! Execute the order!"
"Yes!" The new recruit lowered his head in frustration. He felt that there was no clearer denial than this. The old soldier beside him turned his head and patted his shoulder, then turned around without saying a word.
"Let's go!" Cerberus picked up his weapon and walked to the rear of the position with several new recruits around him.
Just as he was about to leave the front line, the voice of the silent veteran sounded from behind him again:
"If we die, don't avenge us. It is your greatest responsibility to pass on our bloodline!"
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